Ellis directed the horses off the road and hitched them nearby to a tree. He said that riding in the night was normally bad omen so they decided to just camp outside until tomorrow.
They had packed enough supplies to make a small respite so nobody would squirm around in the uncomfortable grass. It was generally an open area, with a small density of trees and low grass. They weren't walking in the uncharted either so there wasn't anything unordinary to be prepared for.
Ellis stoked a small fire as Michael tried to unroll his bedding without looking like a total amateur. It wasn't as comfortable but it was the best they had. Ellis said they could reach their destination by the early morning once they wake up. Michael sat across from Ellis as Mave laid on his right and Stefan on the left. In the center, was a small flame keeping the party warm.
Stefan laid down on his side, propping his head by his hand. "Been a while since we camped out like this, huh?"
Mave turned herself over. "Can't say I miss it."
Ellis checked the straps on his leather armor. "Don't you two have to polish your swords before you sleep?"
"We aren't doing anything yet," Stefan yawned. "You're not even sure if there is an actual attack from Falden."
"What's that you used to say to us before? Hope for the best, prepare for the worst?"
"That was years ago, and that sounds obnoxious anyways."
"Then you wonder why I didn't let you bring booze to the quest."
"I've been waiting to ask," Michael interrupted them. "How long have you guys been adventurers?"
Stefan nodded to Ellis. "You wanna answer that?"
Ellis groaned. "Too long, Michael, I'd say for far too long. Four years of adventuring does great damage to your health."
"He's right," Stefan agreed. "I mean, look at me, I've become nothing but a morning drunkard."
"At least you're honest about it."
"And Ellis hasn't grown any taller—"
Ellis kicked Stefan's arm.
Michael watched them bicker back and forth. He wasn't surprised that they've been in the business for four years. He was more amazed that Mave was able to put up with them for that long, seeing how much they ticked each other off.
Stefan Jaegen is twenty-three years old and he only joined the Adventuring guild whenever he turned nineteen. That was whenever he met Ellis Winslow, then the two of them became friends. Ellis was only fifteen which makes him nineteen now. Michael even pointed out that they both started adventuring at the same age.
It wasn't later on in their third year of adventuring, they met Mave Hawke. Mave was a noble that decided to become an adventurer which was pretty rare for someone of her status. It took a while to convince her to join their party but once she did, they found out she had the luxury of her own house and Stefan had to basically beg on his knees so they could live in her own home. Mave made them swear that they'd pay a fraction of their rewards in return.
Mave is twenty-two years old now, which makes her a year younger than Stefan. She's tall for an average woman and even has the broad physique of an adventurer. Michael would have never guessed she was almost destined to work behind the walls as a noble.
Now that Michael had learned their past, he thought they were all relatable. Everyone had become an adventurer as an escape from something. Stefan excused it as a way of making money, Ellis just wanted people to recognize his name, and Mave used it to turn away from her boring future.
"What about you," Ellis turned to Michael. "Why'd you want to become an adventurer? Was life back in Alanor just as bland?"
Michael nodded. He decided to keep the fact he was a slave before all of this as a secret to himself. He didn't know how they would react to that.
"Liar," Stefan judgingly pointed at him. "You're doing it for that little girlfriend you had, right? That's what you told me."
Michael suddenly felt his throat turn dry.
"It's okay you didn't admit it, I respect that. Where is she anyways? Does she even know you registered as an adventurer?"
"She—" he hesitated. "She knows. She's…still in Aldoria living with her parents."
"Why don't you live with her? What makes you think sticking with us is better than that?"
"Because…I want to do something in return for her."
Mave audibly groaned and pulled her blanket over her head. Stefan laughed to himself on how romantic it sounded. Ellis kept straightening the straps on his armor, not giving much of a reaction.
"You want to provide for her," Ellis said. "Is that your goal?"
Michael nodded.
"You can't do that as an adventurer, especially when you've got a party like this."
Stefan frowned. "Hey!"
"I mean that we can only do so much as adventurers and there isn't some breakaway quest that could sustain us for the rest of our lives. We don't have a mage in our party except Michael's magical sword. If he's looking for some real and clean money, then he should try something else other than an adventurer."
"Don't listen to him," Stefan waved him off. "Adventuring is a real profession, and I know people that've gotten rich off of it. Unless you're good with numbers and good with people, then becoming an adventurer was the best option you could have picked."
Michael held the sheath of his sword beside him. "So that means I have to be stronger, right?"
Stefan nodded. "That's right, kid, you have to be stronger."
"Alright, let's sleep," Ellis placed his armor aside. "Unless you two want to spend the night dwindling on the thought of romance. Keep in mind, we're heading out again at early dawn."
Stefan saluted with his fingers as Ellis went to sleep. He followed up right after, stretching his limbs and deeply yawning.
Michael lied down while he clutched his sword next to him. He didn't want to hear her voice, not tonight when everyone was next to him. She already knew what he was thinking even if he wasn't holding the hilt.
***
The small fire was still alive in the night, crackling and still warm through the air. Michael wondered what woke him up. He rummaged through his blanket, still relieved that his sword was still next to him. He looked around to check on everyone else. Mave and Ellis were still sleeping in their beds. The only person missing was Stefan, seeing his blanket flipped over and his sword missing. His armor was still left behind.
Michael slung his sheath around his shoulder and quietly sneaked away from their little camp. He held the handle of his sword as he walked deeper through the dark forest.
The sword hummed and softly glowed in the dark. She must have woken up by feeling their bond activate.
What's wrong, the voice said, what do you think you're doing?
Michael felt like he wasn't tired. This entire trip he's been uneasy and couldn't stop thinking about the future. His priorities have been changing ever since they introduced him into the other side of adventuring where the real enemy wasn't even the beasts. There were people out there that solely aimed to kill him and disregard his life.
You're running away, the voice said, so you wouldn't have to fight anymore.
Michael wasn't running away. He just needed to be somewhere else to collect his thoughts. He didn't like thinking in his head when he was around people. But he couldn't face the inevitable fact that he wasn't ready for any of this. Michael was only trained for about a month from Mave and he lost every session they fought. He lacked the real experience and drive that his party already had before they met him.
She appeared floating beside him, following him as he walked around in the forest. Apart from the moonlight that shined through the clouding foliage, she was the brightest in the dark. Her worried face made him stop.
Michael, she said, I'll protect you.
He imagined Evelyn protecting him as an invisible ghost.
Not like that, she said, you know my power and how to use it. Our bond will protect you, remember? You're not going to be fighting alone either. You and your party. You're an ego master, Michael, you shouldn't be afraid.
Michael felt the sword in his hand. Maybe overthinking must have worried her too. She was probably bombarded with his own thoughts when he held her by the handle. He didn't know what that must have felt like but he knew it wasn't pleasant since she admitted his thoughts were loud.
Though she was right, he wasn't going to be alone. He's been acting as if the world was against him from the start ever since he bonded with her. Michael had found himself a party that was willing to teach him. Along with that, he had a sword that even defied the laws of magic.
You almost died once, she said, you escaped a nest of mana beasts and you destroyed a mage with his own magic. How can this be any different?
He looked at her ghostly face through the dark. She couldn't have looked any prettier. He wanted to hug her again. Maybe this was the real reason why he had wanted to be alone.
"Can't sleep?" a voice said. "That doesn't mean you get to walk alone, kid."
Evelyn disappeared as Michael turned to the voice. It was Stefan, leaning against a tree with his sleeping clothes. Around his waist held his sword which was an odd sight. Michael wouldn't imagine someone in their pajamas being equipped with a weapon.
"I was looking for you," Michael sheathed his sword. "I thought something might have happened."
Stefan scoffed to himself. "Nothing could ever happen to me, kid, let's get that straight. Why don't you head back and get some sleep before I really get you in trouble?"
"What about you?"
"I'm keeping watch."
Michael noticed a change in his tone. "I thought Ellis said these lands were clear of beasts."
Stefan looked off. "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. I said that whenever I started as an adventurer."
"Were you trying to keep watch over us whenever we slept?"
He nodded.
Michael thought that was something unordinary that Stefan would have done. His image as a person was just an irresponsible drinker that indulged in any opportunity he had. Maybe deep down through that thick exterior, he actually cared for his party members.
Michael looked back where he walked. "Do they know?"
Stefan grabbed him by the collar and dragged him the way back to their camp. Even if Michael insisted that he could walk himself, Stefan didn't allow that either. Michael assumed he didn't like it when people would put themselves in danger for his sake.
He dragged Michael along. "Your parents are dead, right?"
Michael was surprised by the question. "How did you know?"
"Because kids who act like you have dead parents. Didn't they at least tell you to not wander in the woods alone, especially at night?"
"I was trying to look for you."
"Don't, because I can't protect you if I have no idea where you are."
"Sorry."
Stefan sighed, releasing his grip. "Kid, don't be stupid."
Michael rubbed his neck. He never knew Stefan would be the one to discipline him other than Mave.
"You love that girl back in Aldoria, right?"
Michael nodded.
"How much do you love her?"
He spread his arms as wide as he could. He even thought he felt the sword on his back hum in response.
"You love her and you want to save her from her stinking family, that's how every love story goes. You can't do that if you're going to risk your life this easily, you understand that?"
Michael nodded again.
"I know you're stubborn but this is the wrong type of stubborn. Go back to sleep. Ellis told you that we move out at early dawn."
Michael watched him fade into the dark with only the trees rustling behind him. That was his first time being scolded by Stefan. Usually it was from Mave from not meeting her expectations with chores or just failing over and over whenever she trained him. Stefan was mad at Michael because he had deliberately put himself in danger.
Michael walked the trail back to their camp. He admittedly wanted to know each of their own stories. Everyone had some type of upbringing before they had become an adventurer. Michael laid back in his bedding quietly so he wouldn't wake the others. They didn't even know that Stefan was patrolling around for any bad possibilities that there were actually real threats. Maybe Michael was feeling bad for Stefan about all the remarks his party members made about his unhealthy habits when he just wanted them to be safe.
Stefan was easily the strongest out of all of them. He knew that himself too, yet he drowns himself in booze at every given day. It was hard to tell the two apart, the morning drunkard and the competent swordsman. But Stefan didn't play around at all whenever it meant business.
Michael had to understand that Evelyn wasn't the only one that valued his life. He's made new friends at the party even if it doesn't look like it. He wasn't alone in any of this.